Final Fantasy III
by Refia
Summary: A novelization of FF III DS, in which I have added character development, new scenes, expanded other scenes and described all events of III DS as best as I could. Everything needed to give III's story the attention and treatment it so greatly deserves!
1. Prologue

**Final Fantasy III – Novelization**

(Long) Author's note: This story will be, like the title says, a novelization of Final Fantasy III. But it will be more than just a retelling of what happens in the game. Meaning, characters will not always say the exact same dialogue as they do in the game or stuff like that. I also won't limit myself only to the events in the game.

I like Final Fantasy III a lot. The DS version of the game was in some ways a gift from heaven, so to say. I mean, Square Enix gave us main characters! With names and individual personalities! I was slightly disappointed however that they didn't flesh out the story, despite the new main characters, which held amazing potential.

I have always loved Final Fantasy III's story, in my eyes it's one of the best in the series. It doesn't get enough credit and SE never works out the potential the story has. The villain had a motive! A real motive, for the first time in the series! There's backgroundstory for the story itself! There's so much one could do with the story of this Final Fantasy.

So that's what I'm going to try. Work out the story of Final Fantasy III a bit more. Flesh out the characters, add new events to do that, give other characters more appearances. I will follow the general plotline of the game, of course. I have never tried a novelization before, so this will be a challenge for me. I hope I will at least in some way succeed.

If you're a fan of the game, a fan of the NES version or the DS version (or both) or even if you never played it, please enjoy this story. I'll do my best, for I love the game and its story. And don't worry, this story will get finished. Promise.

**--**

**Prologue**

"Mortality…" A voice whispered. The voice was rough, filled with anger, despair and sorrow. A grey-skinned hand folded itself around nothing, as if trying to grasp something that could not be grasped. "Such a terrible curse…"

Two hands, having a poisonously green colour, slithered through the darkness and laid themselves seductively on the shoulders of the white-haired figure that had just spoken. Feminine lips hovered next to the figure's ear.

"We can grant you… immortality… forever!" A second voice, clearly female, said. The first figure almost drank those words. They sounded so comforting, so understanding.

"How?" The first figure asked slowly, his voice betraying his eagerness to hear the answer.

"If the last two are darkened… Immortality shall be forever yours, my lord!" The second voice replied, on the same seductive tone. The first person smirked. Only two more shining baubles that stood between him and his goal. He made his decision.

"The earth…" The first figure whispered slowly. "Pull them into the earth! Create an earthquake! One that will shake the bowels of the earth into complete darkness!"

The female creature that was with the white-haired man could only smirk. It was immortality her lord desired, it was immortality she would give him. And so she called upon her powers of darkness to do as he demanded.

--

That day, a massif earthquake struck and shook the bowels of the earth. Four magic Crystals, that had held the world in balance, were lost. And from the depths of the earth monsters spawned. Darkness spread itself over the world, scarring the land. And as light began to fade, one of the sightless Gulgans made a prophecy.

--

**Well, it begins a little bit cheesy, but don't write this of just yet, the next chapter will give a better view of just how I'll handle novelizing Final Fantasy III.  
Also, as you may have noticed, the very prologue is already an entirely new event I thought up. Expect more scenes like these in which the villain of Final Fantasy III gets some time in the spotlight, for I felt that was what he lacked in the game. Shame, really.**

**Please look forward to the next chapter. If you still don't like how the story is going then, my apologies. Maybe you could tell me then just what you don't like about it, so that perhaps I could keep it in mind.**


	2. Into the Crystal Cave

_The Gulgan thus prophesied:  
_"_The earthquake was only the beginning.  
__The great tremors that swallowed the Crystals,  
__the light of our world, only to spawn monsters  
__from the depths of the scarred land  
__are nothing but harbingers  
__of what is yet to come.  
__Something is coming… fathomless, ominous,  
__and full of sorrow…  
__But hope is not yet lost.  
__Four souls will be blessed with light,  
__and so it shall begin…"_

**1. Into the Crystal Cave**

The silence in the cave was rudely broken when a boy landed with a loud thud on the floor of the cave. The dust that had flown up because of his fall slowly fell towards the floor again. Groaning, the youth stood up. Unsure he checked himself for possible injuries, but when he couldn't find any aside from a few bruises, he looked up to the hole in the ceiling through which he had fallen.

"Damn, didn't notice that hole there…"

He was a young lad with smooth, long silver hair which he held in a ponytail. He wore two sweaters, a light, purple one and a thicker, black one. Over that he had a sleeveless, brown leather vest with three broad brown belts strapped around it. Further the boy had grey pants and black boots that almost reached up to his knees. Lastly he carried a yellowish belt with a small bag with the same colour attached to it. The boy was around seventeen and his name was Luneth.

Luneth scanned his surroundings, letting a sigh escape from his lips. "Climbing out of here is no option. What have I gotten myself into now?"

Yesterday a massive earthquake had shaken the entire world. To the north of his home village, Ur, a cave had opened because of the quake. Everybody in Ur knew Luneth was adventurous by nature, he himself knew it as well, but at this moment he cursed his curiosity. Letting out another sigh, the silver-haired lad decided to move on and look for another way out.

But he barely had set a few steps, or three menacing shapes jumped out of the shadows of the cave. Luneth had quick reflexes however and managed to jump aside. He quickly drew his dagger as he eyed his attackers.

Three goblins, armed with sharp knifes growled at him. They ran at Luneth on their short legs, making them look somewhat funny. But Luneth found the situation all but humorous. He dodged the first goblin that lunged for him, grabbing the arm of the monster, that barely reached to his chest, and twisted it. The creature shrieked briefly as Luneth ended its life with a quick stab. At the same time the boy also saw for the first time how monsters died. The goblin seemed to burn away until only bones remained and those quickly crumbled to dust as well. It was as if he saw a process, that normally would take its time, pass in just a few seconds. It was slightly disturbing but he had no time to think about it. The second goblin lunged at him with its knife as well and Luneth barely had time to step aside. He swung his own dagger which was met with the goblin's. A quick kick send the monster staggering backwards. The third goblin charged from behind. Luneth dived forward to avoid that attack and landed, with his dagger first, on the second goblin. The last goblin threw itself on Luneth as the second one died and the boy managed to turn around and catch his last attacker on his dagger.

Luneth let out a sigh of relief as the last goblin crumbled to dust. Still shaking a bit, he got on his feet. His breathing was rapid and slowly he scratched the back of his head.

"Monsters…" He whispered, disbelievingly shaking his head. "That earthquake really did more than just shake the earth a bit…" He glanced around, searching for other possible attackers. "And somehow I get the feeling that this isn't the safest place to be."

Luneth had learned his lesson from the attack. He kept his dagger ready in his hand and he cautiously made his way through the cave. All over the walls had pieces of crystal sticking out of them, which gave of a soft glow, illuminating the cavern. Something in a shadowy corner caught the lad's eye. It was an iron chest, covered in dust. Cautiously he kneeled down to open it. Inside was a small, light shield, clearly meant for easy use. The shield fitted on his left arm. He didn't have to hold it and thus he could still use his left hand.

The boy stood up and moved on in silence, still glancing around nervously for monsters. Soon however, he stumbled on a dead end.

"Great…" He sighed, slamming his hand on the wall. "Now what?" He looked around and noticed one perfectly round, polished rock sticking out in the corner. "Curious…" Luneth muttered, moving closer to the rock to examine it a bit better. "It's almost as if this thing can be rotated…" He grabbed the rock with both his hands and slowly managed to turn it. He heard something click and behind him, a part of the wall slid down into the ground, opening a new path. Luneth smiled weakly. "Now that's handy…"

--

Luneth sank down on his knees at the edge of the water. He laid his broadsword, which he had found in another chest, down next to him so that he could grab it at any time. The spring in front of him was filled with incredibly pure water that shimmered softly.

"A wellspring." Luneth smiled gratefully. "Guess not everything is against me today."

The crystal clear surface rippled as Luneth filled his cupped hands with some of the pure water. He drank it eagerly, the water soothing his throat and tired body. This cave was dangerous. He had faced off against many monsters by now. More goblins, freaky plant-like things with a big red eye that dropped down from the ceiling, blue creatures that looked like a rock with one eye and even blue puffs of smoke proved to be hostile.

And he just wasn't used to fighting that much. Sure he played around with others back in Ur, but it wasn't the same as a real fight. Handling a sword proved more difficult than he expected, but regardless of him lacking skill and experience the monsters fell for his blade just the same. But it had tired him. And so the silver-haired lad gladly drank some more, feeling much better with every sip he took.

When his body was satisfied and healed, Luneth grabbed his sword and got to his feet. He had better continue to search for a way out now. Or they might get worried back in his hometown of Ur. He would get scolded by his father Topapa again. And that was a thought Luneth didn't really look forward to. A grim smile appeared on his face. If he got out of here, he would have one heck on a story to tell his best friend, Arc. He and Arc were raised together by Topapa, even though they weren't his real sons. Arc and Luneth were orphans, left in Topapa's care when they were only as much as babies. Regardless of that, Luneth and Arc still saw Topapa, the village Elder of Ur, as their father, for he had raised them like a real father would.

Luneth dodged an Eye Fang that lunged at him. They looked like a bit like flowers, but with sharp fangs at the edge of their leaves and a big, ugly eye in the middle. He side-stepped it again and managed to severe the head of the creature from its body. Luneth smiled grimly. Maybe it was for the best that he hadn't been able to convince Arc to come along with him to explore this cave. Everybody knew Arc wasn't the adventurous type Luneth was. Most of the time he sat in his room, with his nose in one of Topapa's thick books.

The silver-haired boy glanced at the rapidly decaying body of the Eye Fang. No, Arc would definitely not have enjoyed this little adventure.

As he looked up, Luneth noticed a staircase chiselled in the stone wall, leading up to an old, rusted door. Thinking it might be a way out, Luneth went over to it. There wasn't really any other way he could take, anyway. The door didn't really cooperate when Luneth tried to open it. It was clear nobody had been through this door for a long time. Still, he wasn't going to let this door get the better of him. He put his shoulders against the rusted door until it gave away. Cautiously, Luneth entered the new room.

This one was vastly different from the cave he had just left. In fact, this wasn't a cave at all, or it hadn't been always a cave, at least. He stood in the ruins of what once had been a great temple. Pillars were placed all over the room, some had collapsed or broken in two, others still stood. A long marble staircase led up to a higher platform and from where he stood, Luneth couldn't see beyond that. As he climbed the staircase, Luneth noticed that many of the rubble and broken pillars didn't look all that old, like they had only broken a very short time ago. He paused for a moment. Maybe the earthquake had drawn this temple into the underground? Topapa had told him and Arc stories of a mighty temple in the mountains north of Ur, a temple that held a great treasure. Maybe the story was true, after all?

As he placed one foot on the next floor, he immediately felt something was wrong. But before he could act, shadows shot up from the floor: twisted and evil. They merged together to give birth to a monstrous creature. It was a huge turtle, with a few modifications to make it all but cuddly. Like those enormous thorns and spikes growing out of the creature's shell. Or those huge claws on its fin-like feet. And those sharp, deadly fangs in its mouth… No, definitely not cuddly at all, Luneth concluded. Worse, he doubted this not-so-cuddly creature had appeared for a friendly chat. Luneth's suspicions were confirmed when the creature dragged itself towards him with its fin-like feet, bared its fangs and roared.

The silver-haired lad gulped and drew his newly obtained sword. How could he ever hope to fell such a mighty beast of the underworld? The creature lunged at him, its neck stretching somewhat as it did so. It tried to get him between its jaws, but Luneth at least had the advantage of speed. He sprang aside and swung his blade widely. It bounced harmlessly off the creature's shell. Luneth clenched his jaw. The Land Turtle turned towards him again, moving towards him for another attack. Luneth ran around it, taking advantage of his speed and tried to find a weak spot. He noticed the scaled feet, tail, neck and head of the beast. True, those scales were hard, but they couldn't be anywhere as hard or impenetrable as the shell, right? He struck one of the creature's feet. It didn't cut through the skin, but the creature did hiss in annoyance. With surprising agility and speed for such a huge monstrosity, the Land Turtle whirled around and knocked Luneth of his feet. It then rapidly lunged forward, hoping to crush the young man between its jaws. Luneth managed to raise his shield in the nick of time. His arm gave in under the blow and he was blown a bit backwards over the ground, but at least that was better then getting ripped to pieces by huge, sharp fangs. Luneth got on his feet again and readied his blade. He ran towards the Land Turtle and sprang to the side just as he was about to collide with the monster's head. Before the Land Turtle could act, Luneth had brought the tip of his sword down with all his might in one of the creature's legs. The sword pierced right through the scaly hide and cut the creature's flesh. Dark red blood began to spill out of the wound. The Land Turtle roared in pain and whirled around quickly again, but this time Luneth was ready. He retreated his blade before he could get knocked of his feet and dodged the monster. Then he quickly grabbed one of the crystallized magical orbs he had found in the cave. The orb looked like a piece of crystal, with an icy blue glow coming from inside it. Arc had told him all about these things, raw crystals that were a lot like the magical crystal orbs used by mages to cast spells. But unlike those refined orbs, these raw, natural crystals could unleash the magic inside them only once.

Luneth hurled the crystal at the Land Turtle. It shattered upon contact with the creature and unleashed the magic kept within it. Sharp icicles flew in all directions as the magic that had been held captive within the crystal unleashed its power. The icicles pierced through the Turtle's skin, some even managed to break through the monster's shell. Mad with pain, the monster lifted up its head to let out a roar of agony and pain. A fatal mistake. Luneth quickly rushed forward and plunged his sword through the evil creature's throat, ending its life. As he retreated his blade, the Land Turtle tried to roar even as his body started to melt, crumble and burn away. It was a sight far more horrifying then seeing a lesser monster die.

Luneth took a deep breath before falling to his knees, more than exhausted. He didn't really want to admit it, but for a moment he had truly been afraid to die during this fight. He had made it out alive in the end, though and that filled him with pride somewhat. He still wasn't out of here, though, and if there were any more fiends of such power waiting for him here, he was finished.

_You have been chosen._

Those words, spoken unexpectedly and suddenly, startled Luneth. What was strange, though, was that the words weren't spoken – at least not out loud. No, he had heard them in his head. The young, silver-haired lad got on his feet again and looked around.

"Who… Who's there?" he challenged, not knowing just what to expect. He saw none who could have spoken. The room was empty… At least, he thought so, until he saw the crystal floating above a marble altar, located on a higher floor than the one he stood on now. Intrigued, Luneth ascended the stairs until he stood right in front of the crystal. It had a brilliant, emerald green colour and it glowed with a soft, green light.

"Could it… Could it have been…" Luneth wondered, biting on his lower lip as he frowned.

_Warrior from the darkened Land, you have been chosen…Chosen as the bearer of hope._

Luneth blinked in confusion. Again he heard that strange, genderless voice speaking in his mind. "Is this Crystal… talking to me?" Luneth wondered silently, eying the Crystal with confusion and suspicion. And what had it just said? Chosen? Bearer of Hope? He didn't understand. Assuming it was the Crystal who had spoken to him, Luneth said to it:

"What… What do you mean? What are you talking about?"

_Darkness is threatening to engulf the world…Soon the equilibrium will be no more…The fragile Balance between Light and Dark shattered…The world at the Void's mercy…_

He still didn't understand. He realized the Crystal was talking about some matters that concerned the entire world, but what did he have to do with that?

_Unless something is done, Darkness will claim everything. You have been Chosen as the bearer of Hope, our Last hope to set the Balance straight…There are others who share your destiny as well…You must seek them out. Once you have found them, I shall bestow upon you my last Light, my last Hope…You must go now._

No sooner the Crystal had spoken those words, or Luneth was engulfed with blinding white light. He felt his body become lighter and fade. He realized he was being teleported somewhere. But he still was confused about all that had just happened and had been said! In desperation, he called out to the Crystal:

"Wait, please! I still don't understand!"

But the Crystal didn't hear him anymore, or perhaps ignored him. There was a flash again and then all of the sudden, Luneth found himself standing in a green field of grass, the blue sky spanned above him and the wind rustling through the leaves of the trees in the forest nearby. Luneth noticed he was breathing rapidly, despite not having done any sort of heavy physical labour. He didn't really feel good, though he didn't know why. Maybe it was just because everything that had happened was so overwhelming. What was that all about just now? Light? Darkness? Balance? Last hope? Utterly confused and unsure of what to do, Luneth headed back to Ur, his home.

--

**End of Chapter 1. I don't know when chapter 2 will be up. You may have noticed some changes compared to the game. For example, the Crystal is green instead of light blue. I did this because I liked the colour scheme of teh Crystals from FF I more (yellow, red, blue and green) instead of light blue, dark blue, red and yellow.**

**And I also gave my own explanation to items like Antartic Winds here, or how magic will be used. I hope its not too bad so far? It's been a long time since I've written anything. All my other fanfics are currently on hold cause I don't know what to do with them. I hope to be able to focus on this story for a while. I didn't really plan to post it any time soon, but surfing around here on I noticed it really lacks FF III fanfics. ANd if tehre are, it's mostly those wierd yaoi pairings. What's wrong with LunethxRefia or lunethxAria, SaraxIngus, DeschxSelina or so?**

**This story will have straight pairings only, though I won't say which ones, aside from the obvious SaraxIngus of course (that was clearly hinted in the game) and DeschxSelina (also stated in the game).**


	3. Hometown of Ur

**2. Hometown of Ur**

Ur was a small village at the foot of one of the many mountains present on the northern parts of the continent. It was a part of the Kingdom Sasune and its inhabitants were both healthy and wealthy enough to lead pleasant lives. Luneth had lived here for as far as he could remember. Ur had always given him a feeling of comfort, and he didn't believe that was just because he grew up here. Almost always the village, by just being like it always was, had managed to wash Luneth's troubles away or cheer him up. But not this time. No, when Luneth returned home from his adventure in the cave, Ur didn't cheer him up. A frown decorated the youth's face and he was deeply lost in thought. His mind was a mess, his brain hurt because of all the thinking that was going on in it.

Luneth sighed and paid no attention to the villagers around him, even though some of them were giving him rather odd glances. Over the years, Ur had grown accustomed to Luneth getting in trouble or doing something rather mischievous, but the boy had almost always returned from his gambolling in the wild the same as he had left. Now however, he was different. Aside from the fact that he now carried a very real, long sword at his belt, he had a serious expression on his face. And for the villagers of Ur, that was a rather rare sight. Luneth ignored them however, and went to the house of his father, the village elder Topapa.

Topapa was a wise man, having gained knowledge as the years passed. He held many books in his possession – all of which had been read at some point by Arc – and there wasn't a single legend - or something akin – about these northern parts of Kingdom Sasune that he didn't know. If there was anybody who could clear up some of Luneth's troubled thoughts, or give him an explanation about what that Crystal had actually been, it would be Topapa.

Luneth entered his father's study rather nervously. Topapa was seated at a plain wooden desk with two red candles on it – which weren't lit now, because it was still day and there was plenty of sunlight coming through the window – and he was studying some text in one of his books.

"Ehm… dad… can I talk to you for a moment?" Luneth began, uneasily.

Topapa looked up from his book. As said before, he was an aged man, the top of his head was completely bald and he had a long white beard. He went dressed in flowing, sage-like robes of white and blue. Arc had once told Luneth that their father went actually dressed a bit like the mighty, spell casting Sages of legend.

"What is it son, what mischief have you wrought this time?" Topapa asked, with a bit of an amused twinkle in his eyes.

"It's not funny dad, not this time…" Luneth replied with yet another sigh. He then began to tell his father all that had happened in the Crystal Cave. When he finished his tale, Topapa had a deep frown on his face and a heavy silence fell.

Finally, just as Luneth began to get impatient and rather irritated by the silence, Topapa spoke. "Luneth" The elderly man's tone was firm and serious. Luneth swallowed. He wasn't quite sure if he wished to hear the answer. "You must know that your encounter with the Crystal was no coincidence. The Crystal consciously chose you to come to it and hear its words. You have been chosen."

"Chosen for what? I don't understand dad!" Luneth was getting desperate. He really had no clue what was going on. Or maybe he just didn't want to understand. All the youth knew was that an earthquake had happened not too long ago and that monsters had begun to show up. What did that have to do with him meeting a crystal and being 'chosen'?!

Topapa sighed. "Sometimes you should have followed Arc's example and read a book. Do not tell me you have not heard the Legend of the Crystals."

"I do know that one." Luneth replied. "The legend goes that four Elemental Crystals exist and keep this world in Balance and guard the elements. Should something happen to them, the effects would be catastrophic for our world."

"Indeed." Topapa nodded. "However, and believe me, that is not a legend. The Crystals are real and they do protect our world. The Crystal you encountered in that cave was the Wind Crystal. Once it resided in a temple in the mountains, but the earthquake must have pulled it in the earth, darkening its light." The old man's gaze settled on Luneth. "Do you begin to understand now?" When Luneth didn't reply, Topapa continued: "The Crystals have darkened, the Balance has shifted dramatically. If nothing is done, our world will meet a horrifying end."

"But what does that have to do with me?" Luneth insisted.

"The Legend says that when Darkness falls over the Crystals, they will choose four Warriors of Light and bless them with the last Light the Crystals posses, the Light of Hope. Those Warriors must fight and strike back the darkness and restore light to the Crystals and Balance to the world." Topapa's gaze met Luneth's. "You have been chosen by the Wind Crystal as a Warrior of Light."

Luneth's eyes widened. "What?! But… but dad! I'm still just a boy! This can't be true! The Crystal must be mistaken!"

Topapa shook his head. "No Luneth, if the Crystal said it has chosen you, then it has chosen you. There is no mistake."

Luneth seemed overrun by the news and actually looked a bit paler than usual. Topapa decided to try and calm his son. "Luneth, calm yourself. I know it is a big task, but the Crystal has chosen you for a reason. And you shall not be alone. As the Crystal said, others share your destiny. I suggest you rest for the rest of the day and prepare yourself. Then go to Kazus tomorrow. Start your search for those with the same destiny as you there." He became silent for a moment, pondering if he should tell Luneth what was on his mind. "I… I always knew this day would come. Or at least, expected it to come…"

Those words tore Luneth out of his messed thoughts. "What do you mean, dad?"

Topapa sighed. "Seventeen years ago or so… A wanderer came to this village, carrying two babies in his arms. His clothes were torn and scorched and he looked as if he had been though hell… He pleaded that I would take care of the two children and I did. I took them in my house and raised them as my own. Those two children were you and Arc, Luneth."

Luneth's eyes widened upon hearing this. He could barely believe it. The man sitting in front of him was not his real father? The man who he had known as his father all of his life turned out not to be his father after all?

"I knew that day, when I took you in… That you were special. You had survived a great disaster apparently, and to me that was a sign you were destined for greater things… And today I was proven right."

When Luneth looked at Topapa again, it was almost as if the old man looked different. He didn't look old and wise, but old and fragile, sad that something had happened he had prayed would not happen. Uncertain, Luneth asked: "Dad…?"

"Luneth…" Topapa's voice looked like it was about to break. As if the old man was on the verge of crying. "I had hoped such a heavy burden would never be yours to bear… I can't bear the thought of my son having to go and face such great danger." The old man looked at the youth with fond eyes and a fatherly gaze. "Now you know the truth and now you understand that you must go. But my thoughts will always be with you, Luneth, for… for you'll always be my son."

Luneth sniffed. He realized he was about to cry himself! He went over to the man he had always known as his father and hugged him dearly. "And you'll always be my dad, dad."

--

Luneth walked through the town of Ur, heading to the pond. After he the talk with his father, he had accepted the fact that the Crystal had chosen him for an enormous task. He still didn't know how he truly felt about that, nor did his mind understand just how huge the task was and what a heavy burden is was. But he had accepted it. Accepted that it was his. Tomorrow he would go to Kazus. There were still some things he had to do, like buying some supplies. But first of all he wanted to find his brother, Arc, and say goodbye. The problem was that Arc wasn't at home, like he usually was. After getting directions from some of his fellow villagers, he went to the pond, where Arc was last seen.

Arc was there alright, but he wasn't alone. Now, Arc was a shy boy at the age of sixteen. He was almost the total opposite of Luneth. He preferred reading to playing outside, he wasn't psychically agile or strong and his personality certainly wasn't as outgoing as Luneth's. As said before, Arc was rather shy and kept to himself most of the time. The only person in whose company he visibly felt at ease was Luneth. Arc was a bit skinny, had short, brown hair, soft, brown eyes and a few freckles decorated his face. Most of the time the young lad went dressed in a light green coat reaching to his knees and long black pants. At his feet he wore brown boots that almost reached to his knees and around his neck he always had a short, yellow scarf. He carried two brown belts - one very broad, one rather small and both with silver buckles - around his waist.

Arc had been reading in the shadow of a tree at the pond, when three younger children of Ur had surrounded him. When Luneth wasn't around, Arc was very easy target to pick on and the children knew that. They had pestered him and called him a coward, again. They had tried to scare him by telling him that there were ghosts in Kazus.

"T… That's nonsense!" Arc stuttered, trying to defend himself. "There are no ghosts in Kazus! G… Ghosts don't exist!"

"Oh no? Ghosts don't exist?" One of the children sneered. "Then just go there and prove it!"

Before Arc could utter a reply, Luneth arrived at the scene. "Hey Arc, what's up?" The silver-haired youngster asked. Arc didn't reply, he merely bowed his head and avoided Luneth's gaze. The other children had had it, they knew pestering Arc when Luneth was around wasn't a good idea. They ran away as fast as their legs could carry them. Confused, Luneth turned to Arc.

"What was that all about?" He asked his brother. Arc didn't reply. He still looked at his feet, his cheeks flushing red in embarrassment. Again he had to depend on Luneth to come and help him. It made him feel weak. He couldn't face Luneth now. Arc brushed past Luneth and ran away. Luneth in vain called after him to come back.

--

"I'm not a coward." Arc thought as he walked through Ur towards his home. "I can do things on my own… I'll prove it!" His eyes got a determined look in them. "But I can't tell Luneth anything, he wouldn't let me do this…"

His mind made up, Arc rushed towards his home, a plan to prove his worth already forming in his mind.

--

When Luneth was done buying some supplies from the item store in the Inn, he went back home and arrived to find his mother, Nina, and his father sitting at the table in the living room. Apparently, Topapa was explaining what had happened to their son to his wife. When Nina noticed Luneth, she almost broke into tears.

"Oh Luneth…" She stood up and went towards him, drawing him in an embrace.

"It's okay mom…" Luneth said, trying to comfort her. "I have to do this, you know that."

Nina nodded. She knew indeed. Like her husband, she knew all too well that the Legend of the Crystal was not a Legend. And if her son was chosen by the Crystal, she would have to accept that. One could not simply ignore the call of a Crystal.

"I'll be fine mom, I promise." Luneth said, with all the confidence he could muster. His mother managed to smile a small smile and nodded.

"I know you'll do well, my brave child." She said.

Topapa spoke next. "Luneth, did you buy the supplies I advised you to buy?"

The silver-haired lad nodded and patted his yellow pouch. "I did, dad. Five potions, two antidotes and I managed to get one of those rare Phoenix Tails."

Topapa smiled approvingly. "And did you say your goodbyes?"

Luneth's smile dropped. "I went to find Arc, and I did find him, but when I tried to talk to him, he ran off. Did he come home?"

Nina nodded. "He went straight to his room. I must say, he looked quite upset."

"I'll talk to him." Luneth promised.

He went upstairs towards Arc's room. When he tried to enter, he found the door was locked. That was odd, Arc never locked the door. He knocked.

"Arc, are you there?" There came no answer. He tried again, two times even, but all he got was silence. Luneth frowned. This was definitely not normal. He thought back to what he had seen outside at the pond. Arc had been there with some other children. He didn't have to guess what had happened. Maybe it was best to leave Arc alone for now… With a sigh, Luneth went to his own room to gather some more things he would need when he left on his journey tomorrow.

--

The next morning, Luneth stood just outside his home, with Topapa and Nina both in the doorway of the front door. All three of them were silent, and Luneth couldn't quite find the words to say. It was the first time he would go on a big journey, alone. And this time, he didn't know what he would face, heck, he still didn't quite understand what he was supposed to do. He didn't know how long it would take, either, or when he would be back. Finally, he swallowed hard and muttered:

"I… I guess I better go now…"

Topapa nodded. "Head south to Kazus first, son, and see where destiny takes you from there. When on the road, rest often and try to find a village to stay in at night, which will be safer."

"And watch out with all these monsters on the road." Nina added. "If there is a path, don't stray from it."

"I know mom, I know…" Luneth sighed. His gaze drifted to the windows of his and arc's rooms on the first floor. He hadn't seen Arc yesterday. He hadn't been able to say goodbye… Topapa noted this and gave his son an assuring nod.

"We will take care of Arc as we always have, Luneth, worry not. And we'll tell him where you have gone to as well."

The silver-haired boy smiled sadly and gratefully. "Thanks dad…" Luneth sighed and checked his equipment one last time. He had his sword strapped to his belt, as well as a dagger and carried his yellow pouch as usual. This time it was filled with items that could come in handy as well as some practical things for under the road.

"I guess I'll be off…" He gave his mother one last kiss and his father one last hug and then Luneth marched off towards the village entrance. Once there, he turned around and waved at his parents one last time, giving them the most optimistic and happy smile he could bring up. They waved back. Luneth took a deep breath and then continued on his way. He left Ur, his hometown, and started the walk to Kazus, the village of mithril and smithies.

--

There was one thing Luneth was quite unaware of when he left, however. When Luneth had vanished out of sight, Topapa and Nina had gone back inside and towards Arc's room. Luneth's younger brother still hadn't come out. The door was still locked however and when they knocked nobody came to open the door. Topapa had to use his spare key to open the door and the sight that greeted them when they entered the room was far from pleasant. The room was empty, the window wide open and the sheets of the bed were knotted together, tied to the bed and hanging out of the window. Arc's travelling pouch was gone, as well as the dagger Topapa had once given him. Some of his books were missing as well. Both parents were stunned. It seemed Luneth wasn't the only son who had left them today.

--

**Whew, it has been a while, hasn't it? I'll try to keep this author's note short, though. Yes, I took a long time to get this chapter up. Sorry. I finished some other stuff first and I've been very busy. School has started again now and I'll try, note: TRY, to get a new chapter up every week. But I don't promise ANYTHING. Something unexpected might always happen, or I might loose inspiration for a while. Stuff happens. **

**Just, let me assure you, this story WILL get finished. I love Final Fantasy III too much to not finish this.**

**So yeah, see you at chapter 3, where we hopefully finally meet my favourite character: Refia!**

**BTW, did I do okay with Luneth's parents and the sequence with Arc?**


	4. Brothers

**3. Brothers**

Unaware of his parent's painful discovery, Luneth had been making his way to the mithril town of Kazus. It wasn't that far if one thought about it, half a day on foot if you walked on a good pace. And that was exactly what Luneth was doing. He figured the sooner he got this over with, the better. And to get it over with, he first had to go to Kazus, preferably as fast as possible. He only had a few hindrances along the way, mostly monsters. Luneth constantly remained on his guard and rarely sheeted his sword during his walk. But goblins and other monsters aside, his trip went smooth enough to his liking and soon enough, Kazus came into view.

Kazus was a village famous for its mithril and the things the smiths made of it. It was build at the side of one of the mountains that surrounded kingdom Sasune. In the rock of the mountain, the people of Kazus had found mithril and had eagerly taken advantage of it. They build their village to be centred around mining and forging. Even the soldiers of King Sasune got their equipment from Kazus. The mountain at one side of the village protected it from behind, and the dense forest that surrounded the rest of the village had proven to be a rather nice defence as well. There was only one way that led into Kazus: a broad path of dirt that led through the forest.

Luneth noticed something was amiss. Usually, the sound of smiths being at work and miners digging for ore could be heard clearly when one came close to Kazus. Now, he heard nothing. A rather ghostly silence hung over the mithril village. The silver haired lad narrowed his eyes. Could something have happened to this village because of the earthquake? He was now at the edge of the village and a first look revealed to him that Kazus seemed quite fine, with little to no damage because of the earthquake. This puzzled him. If there was no damage of the earthquake, than why was it so silent here? Luneth tightened his grip on his sword and cautiously approached the village entrance. Slowly, he emerged from the forest into the open space of the village.

The sight that greeted him there was a surprise, to say the least.

There, barely standing inside the village, stood a boy who was very familiar to Luneth. The youth was clad in a green cloak reaching to his knees and long black pants. At his feet he wore brown boots that almost reached to his knees and around his neck he always had a short, yellow scarf. He carried two brown belts - one very broad, one rather small and both with silver buckles - around his waist. Very familiar. Even though the youth had his back turned to Luneth, the silver-haired young one recognized the boy immediately. Calmly, Luneth approached his brother: Arc.

Arc wasn't aware of Luneth presence yet, though. He seemed to be very nervously surveying the village. A dagger was clutched weakly in his right hand and he had his left hand placed on his chest, as if it would protect him more somehow. If he hadn't been so surprised to find Arc here, he would have found the sight a bit comical. He now stood practically right behind his brother, and still Arc hadn't noticed him yet. Almost laughing, Luneth casually placed his hand on Arc's shoulder.

The reaction he got was a bit startling. Though Luneth didn't know it, Arc had come here all by himself and had found Kazus seemingly deserted. The eerie silence and the loneliness had frightened Arc. Luneth's sudden touch on his shoulder had wrecked his nerves. Arc let out a frightened cry and immediately let himself drop to his knees, his hands protectively on his head.

"Aah! Don't hurt me!"

Luneth almost laughed. Almost. The situation would really have been comical if this would have happened in Ur. But Luneth could understand why Arc was frightened. Even to Luneth, a deserted Kazus filled with an eerie silence was a bit unsettling. So, Luneth calmly and gently kneeled down next to his brother and gently placed his hand on Arc's shoulder once more.

"Arc, it's me, Luneth." He said calmly. "You don't have to be afraid, it's just me."

Hearing the familiar voice, Arc hesitatingly lowered his arms and nervously glanced to his right, where Luneth sat. Seeing that it was indeed his older brother, Arc visibly relaxed. The shy lad let out a relieved sigh.

"Luneth… I'm so glad to see you!"

Luneth smiled faintly. "I'm glad to see you, too, Arc." He replied as he got to his feet and helped Arc up. "Though I do wonder what you're doing here. Do mom and dad know?"

Arc shook his head and averted his gaze from Luneth. "They… they don't. I came here all by myself…"

Luneth frowned. "Why? You ran off yesterday without saying a word, and now you're here. Care to explain?"

Arc shifted his weight nervously from one foot to the other. He still didn't look at Luneth. It was as if his reason for being here shamed him. "I… I just wanted to prove that I'm not a coward!" Arc finally managed to say. "Those boys from yesterday, they… they said I didn't have the courage to come here just because they told me there were ghosts here… I couldn't take it anymore, Luneth. I know I'm not strong… But I'm not a weakling either!"

Luneth sighed and shook his head. He put his hands on his brother's arms. "Arc, I never said you were. And neither did mom or dad. We know what your capabilities are. You don't have to prove anything for us."

Arc shrugged Luneth's hands off him. "No Luneth, I… I always needed someone to stand up for me… I can't keep doing that! I know I'm not weak, but I also know I need to become stronger! And I did! I came here all by myself, didn't I?"

"You sure did." Luneth agreed. "But I fear mom and dad will be worried sick."

"I… I left a letter." Arc confessed. He finally looked up again and gave Luneth an uncertain look. "Actually… I have to confess something, Luneth."

"What would that be?" Luneth asked friendlily.

"Yesterday evening… I heard you talking with mom and dad and that you would leave… I heard you'd leave for Kazus. That's… that's when I decided to do what I did." Arc sighed once more. "I… I decided to go to Kazus before you left and wait for you here."

"Why?" Luneth got a feeling Arc came here for more than just proving he wasn't a weakling, which he didn't need to prove at all in Luneth's opinion, for Arc wasn't a weakling.

"I heard of this journey of yours, Luneth… And… And I want to go with you!" The words were rushed out so quickly it took Luneth a while to understand them. But when he finally got their meaning, he gave Arc a serious look.

"Before I even begin to think of your question, you had best explain to me why you couldn't just ask me that in Ur."

Arc nervously gazed at his feet. "You know mom and dad wouldn't let me go. Especially not mom. And…" Arc fell silent.

"And what?" Luneth pressed.

Arc swallowed nervously. "I was afraid that… if I didn't prove myself by coming here by myself, you wouldn't want me along… that I would just be a burden to you."

Luneth's jaw dropped in disbelief. For a moment he feared something was wrong with his ears. "Arc…" He finally said slowly. "You could never be a burden to me! We're brothers, for heaven's sake!"

"But… But I can't do much… Aside from reading and hiding." Arc protested meekly. Luneth shrugged the protests off. He placed his hand on Arc's shoulder and gave it an assuring squeeze.

"Arc, if this means so much to you, of course you can come with me." The silver-haired lad smiled, even more so as he saw the happiness fill Arc's eyes. "I would even be grateful if you came with me, it means I won't be alone."

Arc became overjoyed with the news. He threw his arms around Luneth in a brotherly hug. Luneth's smile broadened. Seeing Arc genuinely happy always managed to cheer him up to. Arc's joy even managed to break the tension that hung in the air of the completely quiet Kazus.

"I'll have to warn you, though." Luneth said seriously when Arc finally let go of him. "This won't be an easy trip. But I know you're strong enough to make it through, Arc. We've got each other to act as support now."

Arc nodded quietly. His joy had toned down significantly in a matter of seconds as he realized once more what lay ahead of him. No more the safety of Ur, or a warm bed and meal every day. This journey was going to be dangerous, he knew. They would have to fight monsters, rest in the wild at times and take care of their own food. But he didn't have any regrets about offering his company. No, Arc was determined to undertake this journey together with his brother. He would prove it, for once and for all, that he was not a coward. He would prove that he was strong, too.

"I understand what lies ahead of me, Luneth. But I want to do it, and I don't want you to do this alone, either. Being a Chosen One is a heavy task."

Luneth raised an eyebrow. "So you heard of my encounter with the Crystal?"

Arc nodded. "I heard mom and dad talk about it… And I know how grave the situation of the world has to be if the Crystal has called upon its Chosen One. All books I read about the Crystals told the same story when it came to Chosen Ones."

Luneth smiled a little. "You know Arc, dad was right. I should read more."

His younger brother smiled at that too. "You should, but it doesn't matter now, does it? I… I'm with you now. And if one of us can read, that should be enough, right?"

The silver-haired laughed upon hearing the joke. "Indeed, brother, indeed."

---

After talking a little more with Arc about his journey to Kazus and checking his brother's equipment, Luneth decided they had to return to the matters at hand. He wanted to find out what was wrong with Kazus. Arc didn't object, though he did seem a bit uneasy.

"What… what if the ghost stories that recently surfaced are real after all?" The sixteen year old boy muttered quietly.

"There's only one way to find out, Arc." Luneth replied. His tone was serious but encouraging. "And who knows, if there are ghosts, maybe they are friendly?" He paused for a moment to see what effect his words had on Arc. His younger brother seemed to be pulling himself together as well as gathering all his courage. Luneth admired him for that, normally, Arc would have turned back by now, he knew. But this time he didn't and it made Luneth proud, in a way. "Still…" He added as he drew his sword. "A bit of precaution never hurt anyone. Keep your dagger at ready, little brother."

Arc nodded and nervously drew his dagger, a gift of his father. He tried to calm himself. He was no longer alone. Whatever danger they might come across, he knew he wouldn't face it alone. Steeling himself, he followed Luneth, who was headed for the Inn.

"The Inn is the centre of the village most of the time, we might as well start trying to figure out what is going on here there." Arc heard Luneth say. The boy with his long green coat could only agree with that.

"I wonder what could have happened to make an entire village go quiet like this." Arc found himself saying. Luneth glanced at him over his shoulder.

"Me too, Arc."

Arc frowned as he dug in his memory. Somehow, the situation of the village suddenly became familiar to him. He remembered reading a book dealing with the lore and myths and legends of kingdom Sasune. There had been that one legend of… His eyes widened as he remembered.

"Luneth!" Arc said hurriedly, grabbing his brother's arm. "I think I have a possible explanation for what's going on!"

Luneth looked surprised, but he nonetheless nodded and urged Arc to tell him.

"I remember reading a book in which the tale was told of how the grandfather of King Sasune dealt with a demon that plagued the kingdom. The demon was called Djinn and to oppress his evil rule, the book said he turned the people into 'no more than phantoms'. That spell was known as the Curse of Djinn, but it was broken when the King sealed the Djinn away in a mithril ring!" The words were rushed out of Arc's mouth, so excited he was that he might be able to put his knowledge to use. "The Djinn was sealed, but what if the Earthquake somehow broke the seal? And if the Djinn was free, it might have used his Curse again, to prevent the people of Kazus of forging another mithril ring that could seal him? That might explain the ghost stories we've been hearing lately! Maybe the ghosts aren't ghosts at all, but cursed villagers, just like so many years ago!"

Luneth smiled once more. It was good to see Arc so excited, but his story also made sense. He hadn't read the tale, of course, but even he had to admit the situation definitely seemed familiar. And Arc's explanation of the ghosts made sense as well. He gestured at the door of the Inn.

"Only one way to find out the truth, little brother. Let's check out the Inn." Arc nodded, seemingly no longer afraid now that there was a chance there were no ghosts at all, just cursed villagers that needed help.

Luneth opened the door of the Inn and went inside cautiously, his sword ready. He wasn't going to take any risks, even if Arc's theory was correct. Once more he was surprised that day by what he saw, but he was getting used to the surprises by now. He glanced at Arc over his shoulder and nodded.

"I think it's safe." He said on a hushed tone. Arc took a deep breath and followed Luneth inside. And he too was startled by the sight that greeted him. There were ghosts alright, but if they were trying to be scary, they failed pretty hard. Because these ghosts existed out of a brown outline in the shape of a human only, and for the rest they were fully transparent. No scary faces, creepy and torn clothes, no evil eyes or anything. Just the strange brown outline of a human. It was somehow bizarrely cute.

"These ghosts don't seem hostile." Arc muttered.

"Yeah, I agree." Luneth overlooked the Inn. The current room they were in was a pub, much like the Inn in Ur. He guessed the rooms for staying were upstairs. There were some tables scattered through the room, each with four chairs. A couple of six 'ghosts' were seated at the tables. Luneth lowered his sword and approached the nearest one. He wanted to tap it on the shoulder, but then realized he would probably just pass straight through it.

"Ehm, excuse me?" Luneth said slowly.

The ghost whirled around and faced Luneth, even though he had no visible face. "By my beard!" The ghost exclaimed. Arc's eyes widened, apparently this ghost had a beard! He never would have guessed. "Finally someone visible around here!"

The cry of the ghosts caught the attention of the other occupants of the Inn and they all rushed to Luneth and Arc. The two brothers soon found themselves surrounded by excited and 'visibly' relieved ghosts. All of them were asking and saying things at once and Luneth nor Arc could make anything of it.

"Stop!" Luneth shouted. The Inn became quiet almost immediately. Luneth let out a relieved sigh, then turned to the ghost with the invisible beard. "Calm down, please, and tell us: who are you and what happened here?"

"The name's Cid." The ghost replied. "I'm an airship engineer from Canaan. I came here to get some mithril supplies for me airship, but then the earthquake happened and a boulder blocked the Nelv valley, so I became stranded here. Not a smart move, apparently!" The ghost 'scratched' his head and grinned sheepishly. "Before I knew it, here I was, all transparent because of some devilry curse!"

"It's the Djinn." One of the other ghosts said, this one shorter than Cid and sounding younger too. "The earthquake somehow broke the seal of the Djinn. Fearing our mithril weapons and rings, he put a curse upon us, transforming us into ghosts, just like long ago."

Arc flashed Luneth a victorious smile, his theory had been proven correct. "Can nothing be done?" Luneth asked, apparently not feeling at all uncomfortable talking to some transparent outlines.

"The only thing that could break the Djinn's curse is resealing it… But we need a mithril ring for that, and there are none in the village." The ghost replied.

"Worse," Cid added. "The only one here capable of forging a mithril ring, Takka, has been cursed as well and his daughter gone missing… Seems like a hopeless situation, eh?"

Arc tapped Luneth on his shoulder. "We have to try and help these people, Luneth."

"Sure." His silver-haired brother replied. "But Arc, we don't have a mithril ring either."

Luneth's younger brother bit his lip, then said: "I heard the daughter of King Sasune has one…"

"Yes!" Yet another one of the ghosts said, nodding. "That's true. Princes Sara received a mithril ring for her seventeenth birthday as a gift from our village."

"Maybe we could ask King Sasune if we could borrow the mithril ring of his daughter." Arc offered, sounding a bit shy. He wasn't used to his knowledge being appreciated, or his ideas being listened to. Now he had a whole circle of ghosts and his own brother listening to him and appreciating his input. "It's for the good of his people, after all…"

"I don't see why it should be a problem…" Cid seemed to stroke his beard, but it couldn't be seen. "King Sasune, I heard, is a kind and just man to his people. Surely he could not refuge a formally asked request?"

Luneth shrugged. "It's worth a shot, at least." He turned to Arc. "Okay Arc, let's head to Castle Sasune and try to get an audience with the King, so we can help these people."

Arc nodded determinedly. Being listened to had really increased his confidence a bit – he truly wasn't used to his knowledge and ideas being appreciated, the people in Ur were kind to him, but the children had mostly just pestered him because of his love for reading and studying – and he really wanted to help these people. Arc saw it as a chance to be able to prove that he could do things besides just reading and hiding behind Luneth.

"Say," Cid's ghostly form said, making Arc and Luneth face him. "If I lend you kids my airship, do you think that would be of any help?"

Arc and Luneth's eyes widened. An airship?! They had never seen one before, let alone ridden one, and now here was an airship owner offering to lend his ship to them, meaning they would be the pilots! No sane person could turn down such an offer.

"I think it would speed up our trip to Castle Sasune, if anything." Luneth said with an eager smile. This was going to be more fun than he had imagined.

"Then it's settled!" Cid replied, rubbing his hands together. "I've hidden her in the desert, to not draw unwanted attention. Use her as you like, just give her back to me in one piece!"

Luneth wanted to run of there and then to the airship, but Arc was a little bit less hasty. "Eh, do you think we'll be able to pilot it?"

"Ain't nothing to it, lad. There are no complicated controls, just the steering wheel! You'll get the hang of it in no time!"

---

"Imagine Arc, flying an Airship all by ourselves!" Luneth said excitedly as they trudged up another sand dune.

The Parmeni desert was a small desert in the south of the Parmeni valley. Nobody really knew how that desert had come there, for it was after all somewhat strange to find a desert so up north in the continent. Regardless, the desert was there. It wasn't that big, with a little luck it could be crossed in a day. And the two brothers didn't even need to cross it fully, just find the airship. Cid had given them a description of how to get to the ship, which Arc had smartly written down in a little notebook he had with him. The Parmeni desert was home to monsters and wildlife that thrived on the warm temperatures of the desert. Regardless, Parmeni desert wasn't that hot. At least, if the stories Arc had read in his books were true, Parmeni desert was nothing to the huge desert said to lay in the south of the continent. The temperatures there were described as 'making Parmeni desert seem like it was a walk in the snow'.

"I know Luneth, but I'm still a bit worried. We've never flew with an airship before. To be honest, we haven't even seen one in our entire life yet!" Arc said quietly. The trudging through the desert, the sand and the monsters had made his determination and confidence dwindle down a bit again.

"You heard Cid, it'll all work out in no time." Luneth replied with confidence. They walked on in silence for a while, weapons drawn and ready for any monster attack. After a few moments, Arc broke the silence.

"I really admire what you are doing, by the way, Luneth." Arc said shyly. Luneth flashed him a questioning look.

"I mean helping the people of Kazus. You don't know them, yet you offered to help them all the same. Dad would be proud." Luneth's younger brother explained. To his surprise, Luneth's face got a serious expression on it.

"It's the right thing to do, Arc. And it's my duty. When I… When I saw the people of Kazus in their current shape…" He hesitated for a moment. "When I saw that, I realized just what the results of the earthquake are. In a way, the people of Kazus are lucky, they at least still live. But what about the rest of the world? Who knows what the earthquake did there?" He paused for another short moment, then let out a deep sigh as he looked up to the cloudless sky. "I think I just now begun to realize why the Crystal called for me, what it wants me to do… And it's the right thing to do."

Arc smiled admiringly at his older brother. "Dad would be surprised, because he so often says you're irresponsible. And now… he'd be really surprised."

Luneth frowned. "Did he really say that?"

Arc smiled shyly. "He did, when he thought nobody could hear it…" Arc suddenly stopped in his tracks. He thought he saw a flash of brown somewhere behind a dune to his left. "Luneth, I think I saw something…"

Luneth was immediately alert and raised his sword. "What is it? A monster?"

Arc narrowed his eyes as he went back a few steps so he could see what he had seen better. "No… I… I think it's Cid's airship!"

---

And it was indeed Cid's pride. The two brothers hurried towards it, sand being swept into the air by their running footsteps. And then they stood before it and they could only be amazed. It was so unlike anything they had seen before. It did indeed look like a ship, but without sails. Instead, it had high masts with on each one a cross of four blade-like things. Arc recognized them as propellers, from one of the books he had once read. The young scholar was indeed impressed and if they weren't in a hurry, there was no doubt he would have studied every inch of it for days. But Luneth snapped him out of it. There would be time to marvel later, the people of Kazus needed help first.

"We better climb aboard and see if we can get that thing into the air!" The silver-haired boy said. When he saw Arc was still staring, Luneth let out a sigh and pulled him along to the ship. A rope ladder offered entrance to the deck of the ship and the two boys climbed aboard. The deck was quite neat, but a lot of sand had been blown on it by the desert wind. Luneth and Arc climbed inside the airship in their search for the control room. It didn't take them long to find the room in which the steering wheel was situated, for Cid's airship's interior was a bit small, there weren't many cabins in it. As soon as Luneth entered the control room, however, he immediately noticed someone was already there.

A young girl appearing sixteen years of age, with shoulder-length, blond hair and triangle-shaped earrings. She had brown eyes and a slender figure. She wore a dress-like, white shirt and over that a sleeveless blue, open vest, only buttoned together just above her breasts with something that looked like some sort of a buckle with a cross on it. Her legs were covered by skin-tight black pants and the girl wore long, light brown boots that reached to about halfway her thighs. She seemed to have been resting, for she just climbed to her feet as Luneth and Arc entered. Unaware of them, she stretched her back and arms and took a deep breath. As he watched her, only one thought went through Luneth's mind: "She's… beautiful!"

---

**And that's the end of the third chapter. And yay, Refia has made her entrance! Luneth find her beautiful? Eh, a hint at the romance to come! **

**You may notice I tried to develop the characters' character in this chapter. Arc always struck me as a shy and modest person with great knowledge, but not much self-confidence. This novelisation will deal with that.**

**Luneth struck me as outgoing and a bit rash, you may notice I'll try to make him develop into a more calm person who thinks before acting. Of course, it'll be a long process for all of them! **

**What will Ingus and Refia's developing personalities be? Wait and see.**

**Also, I tried to develop FF III's world a bit more, like the Parmeni desert (it's not called like that in the game, but the mountains surrounding kingdom Sasune are called Parmeni Mountains, so…). **

**The Djinn backstory I also made up, but it seemed logical. Djinn seemed to be known to the people of Kazus and Castle Sasune, so I tried to explain that here.**

**Till the next chapter, where the group will finally be complete!**


	5. Companions

**4. Companions**

The two brothers watched the unknown girl in silence. If she had noticed them, she didn't show it. She ran her hand through her blonde hair once before turning around gracefully, coming face to face with Luneth and Arc as she did so. Startled, the girl did a step backwards, her eyes slightly wide from being surprised.

"Who are you?" She then demanded, putting her hands in her sides and giving the two boys a glare. "And what are you doing here?! This is private property, you know!"

"Well, she recovers fast from being startled alright." Luneth thought with a sigh, then he gave the girl a glare of his own while saying aloud: "We could ask you the same thing! This is Cid's airship and he's lending it to us!"

"Oh really?" The girl snapped back, unfazed by Luneth's statement. "And I'll have you know that I and my father forged the parts of this airship!"

Hearing that, Arc frowned and observed the girl thoughtfully but shyly. Then, after having his mind made up, he did a step forward and stood at Luneth's side. "You wouldn't happen to be the daughter of Kazus' blacksmith, would you?"

The blonde nodded. "As a matter of fact, I am. I'm Refia, daughter of Taka the blacksmith."

"So you didn't go missing at all, you just ran off." Luneth said with a smirk, crossing his arms as he watched her. Refia was about to say a hard retort, when Arc stopped her before the first word even came over her lips. The brown-haired boy turned to his silver-haired brother.

"Luneth, she can help us!" Arc said excitedly. Refia meanwhile, frowned confusedly as she heard him speak. Help him? With what? Unaware of Refia's confusion, Arc went on: "We won't have to ask for King Sasune's mithril ring, she can make one for us!"

Luneth took his gaze off Refia and looked at Arc, smiling. "Good idea Arc, it'll spare us the trouble going to Castle Sasune."

Refia coughed, getting the boys' attention. "Don't go making plans on me!" She said with an annoyed voice. "Just so you know, I can't forge mithril rings. I didn't study that far yet." Under her breath, she added: "I didn't want to…" Realizing the boys were watching her somewhat disappointed, the mithril-smith's daughter said: "What are you looking at me like that for? Why do you need a mithril ring anyway?"

Luneth watched her as if she had just grown a second head. "Don't tell me you don't know…" Seeing her confused frown, he asked suspiciously: "How long have you been here exactly?"

Refia bit her lip, thinking for a moment. "Since the day of the earthquake, I think."

"And you haven't been to your home ever since?"

Now it was Refia's turn to look suspicious _and_ annoyed. "Listen up, mister, just spit whatever you're hiding from me out already, okay?"

Seeing as the two apparently couldn't really get along, Arc decided to – nervously – step in between the two. "Luneth, be patient with her, please?" The intelligent boy said to his older brother, after which he turned to Refia. "Ehm, Miss Refia, you see, the earthquake kind of caused some troubled in Kazus and…" Arc was stuttering somewhat while he said that. Not that the poor boy could be blamed. He never had to be the one who had to calm two quarrelling sides down before.

Refia's anger at the two boys melted like snow under the sun and her expression turned worried. "Did something happen to Kazus? Is father alright?"

"He's alive, if that's any kind of comfort." Luneth answered. "But he and all of Kazus are in trouble. You see, the earthquake shattered the seal on a demon called Djinn and the only thing that can reseal him is a mithril ring. To prevent that from happening, he turned the people of your hometown into ghosts."

The blonde girl paled considerably at hearing that news. She clasped her hands before her mouth and her eyes went wide for the second time that day. "Gods no… father…"

"Nothing is lost yet!" Arc hurriedly said, hoping to make the smith's daughter feel a bit better. "Me and Luneth were going to go to castle Sasune to ask for King Sasune's mithril ring so we can reseal the Djinn. Once we've done that, your father and village should be alright again."

Refia's hands dropped to her sides and she bowed her head, gazing at her feet. For a moment Luneth thought she was crying, but it turned out she was thinking hard. "So that's why you asked me to forge a mithril ring…" She muttered quietly. Luneth did a step in her direction, feeling some sympathy for her. He realized he had been lucky that Ur had been spared from the Djinn's curse. A rather uneasy silence fell, one which Luneth nor Arc dared to break. For a moment, he and Arc just watched the blonde girl in silence, unsure of what to do. Eventually Luneth could no longer bear the silence and he was about to ask Refia if she was okay, when the girl looked at them with a determined look on her face.

"I'm going with you." She declared on a tone that made it clear she couldn't be persuaded of otherwise and that she wouldn't accept any refusal. Seeing the rather astonished looks on the faces of the two brothers, she explained: "I… I can't forge a mithril ring and help father and the others that way… But I do wish to help regardless. That's why I want to go with you two and help you with resealing the Djinn…" She fell silent and looked at the two brothers expectantly.

Arc glanced at Luneth with a gentle and knowing smile on his face. "We should let her come with us Luneth." Luneth raised an eyebrow and gave Arc an unsure look. Quickly, the brown-haired lad added: "It wouldn't be fair towards her if we told her to back off. It's her hometown and father that have been cursed, Luneth. She has as much right to help them as we do. And besides, I read in my books once that there's safety in numbers…" The last part he had said with little more than a whisper, as if he was embarrassed about saying it. Luneth still had one eyebrow raised, however, and it worried Arc. Surely Luneth didn't mean to keep Refia out of this? Then, to Arc's relief, Luneth winked and turned to Refia with a big grin on his face.

"I don't see why not." He told her. The mithril-smith's daughter almost smiled and was about to thank him when Luneth added: "After all, it was slacking off that saved her from the curse. Who knows, maybe that luck will rub off on us!"

Gratitude turned to anger immediately. Refia clenched her fists and glared at the still grinning silver-haired boy. "You… That was not funny!"

---

"I thought we were in a hurry." Refia said with nothing less than annoyance and even some mockery in her voice. "Yet you've been trying to take off for ten minutes and we're _still_ on the ground." She crossed her arms and leaned back in the three-person seat she was sitting in together with Arc.

The control room of Cid's airship had two seats in it, placed against the walls of the ship and one on each side of the steering wheel, where passengers could sit. They had fluffy blue cushions on them which were very soft, something Refia had gladly made use of during her stay in the airship. Sure, the seats weren't her bed, but they were still better than the wooden floor of the ship. Aside from the seats and the steering wheel, the control room was kind of empty, but given its size it wasn't that surprising.

"Give me a break, I haven't done this before. Besides, didn't you make this airship? Why don't you get us in the air?" Luneth snapped back from his position behind the wheel. He had been, in vain, trying to get the engines starting and get them in the air for the past ten minutes. He couldn't really figure out the controls, despite there not being many options. You had the wheel and two levers, and he had pulled each one of them, but nothing had happened.

"I may have made the parts of this ship, but that doesn't mean I know how to fly one." Refia retorted effortlessly. She took some amusement in Luneth's futile attempts. Serves him right for making fun of her just a moment before!

Luneth sighed and did a step back. "Arc, you try, you're smarter than I am." Nervously, Luneth's younger brother got up from his seat and approached the controls of the airship. Luneth meanwhile, sank down next to Refia and sighed. While Arc studied the controls, Refia took her chance and studied Luneth a bit out of the corners of her eyes. Just before, when Arc was still seated next to her, she had taken some time to get to know him at least a little. She knew Arc's name now, where he was from and that Luneth was his brother. But that was all. It hadn't taken the smith's daughter a lot of time to figure out Arc was very shy. This Luneth however, he seemed to be Arc's opposite.

"So, your name is Refia, isn't it?" Luneth asked, not looking at her or opening his closed eyes. The tone he asked it on, however, wasn't anything but friendly. It was a genuine question, which Refia hadn't expected from the silver-haired boy, though of course she realized he couldn't be a grinning bag of bad jokes all the time. Still, seeing that normal side so soon after she'd met him kind of startled her.

"It is. And you're Luneth, yes?" She answered on a similar tone. If he was going to be friendly, she decided, so would she. Luneth just nodded.

"So why did you run away from Kazus?" He asked curiously. Refia shrugged and averted her gaze. Should she tell him or not? It wasn't as if it was _that_ private. She just worried he might use an honest answer as an excuse to tease her more.

"It's my father. He's bent on making me a good blacksmith, but I'm not sure I even want that. Sometimes the training gets too heavy, long and tedious that I can't take it anymore…" She replied honestly.

"And then you run away, huh?"

She nodded. "Father knows I'll come back, so he's usually not too worried, nor does he quit his tedious training program. He'll never learn…"

Luneth was about to say something, when a shock went through the entire airship. The humming of engines filled the air. Blacksmith daughter and Chosen One of the Crystal both looked in the direction of a certain shy but intelligent young boy, who looked at them with a satisfied smile on his face.

"You did it Arc!" Luneth congratulated, jumping up from his place and running over to the steering wheel again. "How did you do it?"

Arc shrugged and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "It wasn't that hard… Next time, Luneth, try pulling both levers at the same time."

Luneth swallowed hard and audibly, silently cursing himself for overlooking such a simple option. Refia, meanwhile, couldn't resist and laughed, making Luneth turn beet red from embarrassment. Even Arc couldn't help but smile a bit, for truly the solution had been simple. Eventually, though, even Luneth could see the humour in it. And when Arc explained to him how he thought the controls worked, Luneth's typical grin returned with the speed of light. It was time to fly, with _him_ at the helm.

---

The airship flew through the skies, trees and fields passing down below it at a rapid pace. In the control room, three teenagers stood at the helm of the ship, looking through the front window to the world outside with excitement on their faces. Luneth proved to be way better at steering than at taking off and he guided the airship safely through the skies.

"Pity it doesn't fly very high." Luneth noted, keeping his gaze firmly fixed on the skies ahead. "We can't even fly over the mountains. Heck, we're barely a few metres above the tallest treetops."

"It's the engines, they're not powerful enough to reach higher heights, I think." Arc replied thoughtfully, the excitement at flying never leaving his face. It was his first airship ride and the brown-haired lad honestly didn't care the airship didn't fly very high. It flew quite fast, much faster than one could go on foot and that was all that mattered. "But what does it matter? We're flying!"

"Can't argue with you there." His silver-haired brother replied with a grin. "It's just, if we had been able to fly higher, we maybe could have seen Ur from the ship." He then turned to Refia, who was looking to the world outside with a content smile on her face. She seemed excited at flying… yet not as excited as the two brothers. "Say Reffie, what's with the lack of excitement? This not new to you?"

She tore her gaze off the scenery and glared at Luneth. "Reffie? You don't know me long or well enough yet to call me nicknames, Luneth." Then, on a more gentle tone, she added: "But you're right, it's not the first time I've taken a ride on this airship. I've done it once before, though I admit this time it's more… memorable." She then turned her attention back to the scenery that passed below and above them quickly, and Luneth did not say anything on her reply.

The three of them flew on in silence for quite a while, each of them busy with something else or caught up too much in their thinking. Arc was simply admiring the airship and the flying, Luneth was busy piloting and Refia was thinking about what had happened today. She wouldn't show it of course, but the blacksmith's daughter was worried and even a bit nervous. She was worried for her hometown, for her father. She was slightly nervous of these two boys, these two brothers from Ur who were still strangers to her. She knew their names, but besides that? Who even said they could be trusted? Maybe the whole story about Kazus wasn't even true! Refia shook her head quietly. No, she shouldn't think like that. Arc was too shy to be planning something nasty, and Luneth simply too cheerful and teasing. Yes, she shouldn't worry too much. Refia couldn't say why, but something inside her assured her that these two could be trusted. Seeing no reason to do otherwise, she listened to that inner feeling.

Her thoughts drifted to the more pressing matter at hand: the Djinn, its curse and curing it. She had heard those stories once, of course, but never paid much attention to it. Now the stories were true, apparently, and it was up to her and the two brothers to reseal the Djinn. She was not a complete stranger to the art of battle, if she did say so herself, but she had little experience and was worried if they could handle it. Refia glanced at her companions. She didn't want to be rude or anything, but Arc didn't strike her as a person you could depend with your life on in a dangerous battle and Luneth seemed too reckless to rely upon. Refia had no other option but accept that she had to make the best of it. Who knows, maybe they'd turn out to be far more reliable in a serious battle – like the one they no doubt had ahead of them – than she expected. Her fingers wrapped around the hilt of her dagger nervously, as if she wanted to make sure it was still there. It was the only weapon she had with her, without it she wouldn't be of much use. She had to make sure she didn't lose it.

Any further thoughts were interrupted by a surprised cry from Arc. She looked up to see the intelligent boy point at something. She followed his finger and when she saw what he was pointing at, she immediately understood Arc's surprise.

"By the Crystals…" She muttered, not taking her eyes off the enormous boulder that apparently blocked the Nelv valley. Nelv valley was the only way to leave the valley that was enclosed by the Parmeni Mountains. It being blocked by such an enormous block of rock essentially meant nobody could get in or out of Kingdom Sasune. She glanced weakly at Luneth and Arc, who both were eying the boulder with astonishment as well. "Another result of the earthquake?"

Luneth nodded weakly. "And something inside me tells me that this boulder and Kazus' curse are but the tip of the iceberg. I'm not sure I want to find out what else the earthquake caused in the rest of the world…"

"Me nether…" Arc agreed silently. He studied the boulder again. "How are we ever going to get past that, Luneth? It's so huge even the airship can't take us over or around it, its engines aren't powerful enough to accomplish that."

Arc's seventeen year old brother bit his lip for a second, then shrugged. "I have no idea, Arc, but let's worry about that later. Right now, we have a mithril ring to borrow and a curse to lift." That being said, Luneth turned the wheel and steered the airship to the north, past Nelv valley and in the direction of Kingdom Sasune.

---

"There's the castle." Refia said, pointing to the mighty stone structure below. Castle Sasune was an old building, everybody knew, but it was quite grand regardless of its age, which had caused many to wonder about the construction of the castle. Most notable were the two tall towers, one in the east and one in the west, which were both so high even Cid's airship would have barely been able to pass over them.

"I noticed, I'm not blind." Luneth replied simply, not looking at the Castle but at the ground below. "Help me find an open spot or something, preferable flat, so I can put this thing on the ground."

Both Refia and Arc did as he requested, while Luneth slowed the airship down carefully. Eventually, Arc noticed an open space in the forest which laid practically next to the Castle's eastern wall. He told his brother of his discovery, holding tight as Luneth immediately swayed the airship in the direction of the mentioned spot. Once Luneth had made sure he had the airship right above the place and that the clearing was big enough, he carefully lowered the engines' power, making the airship descent slowly but steadily. The silver-haired lad had to admit, he was quite nervous about this moment. Cid had entrusted his airship to him and Arc without a second thought. They had to take good care of it and it definitely wouldn't be right to damage the ship. Luckily, the landing was as good as flawless and the flying ship hit the ground with a soft thud.

Luneth let out a sigh of relief. "Alright," he said jokingly. "Let's hear those compliments about my perfect landing, shall we?"

Refia rolled her eyes. "Oh please, cut it and let's head to the castle." Without giving him even as much as a second glance, the sixteen year old girl turned around and walked out of the control room. Luneth watched her go and scratched the back of his head, grinning weakly.

---

The three teenagers trudged through the forest, which was dense even this close to the Castle. Luckily, they couldn't get lost, for they could see the Caste Sasune's towers above the trees.

"One would think they'd make some kind of path to the Castle or something…" Refia muttered under her breath as she tiptoed past some very stingy plants. Not that she really had to worry about stingy plants because of her soft, leathery brown boots that reached to halfway her thighs. Still, the blacksmith's daughter rationalized, better be safe than sorry.

"It's because we're not taking the usual route." Arc explained quietly. "There is a road more to the south, which runs all the way from Ur, to Kazus, to the Castle, right in front of the main gate... At least, that's what I read."

"You sure seem to know and read a lot." Refia replied with a small smile, giving Arc a thoughtful glance. The brown-haired lad bowed his head and blushed a bit.

"Reading is what I do best…" He said quietly, hoping she wouldn't hear. If she did or not Arc would never know, for Refia wasn't paying attention anymore. She had stopped walking and looked around nervously. Luneth noticed it and stopped walking as well, pulling Arc a bit closer to him.

"Is something wrong?" He asked the blonde girl from Kazus. Refia looked tentatively to the green surrounding her and didn't immediately reply. After a long minute of silence, she shook her head and turned to the two brothers.

"I thought I heard something rustling, and it wasn't the wind in the trees." The blacksmith's daughter replied to Luneth. The silver-haired lad glanced around. Could there be monsters? It was certainly possible, ever since the earthquake there were plenty of those around. The forests of kingdom Sasune weren't safe anymore. If there was a path, one had best stick to it, as Nina had told her silver-haired son before he set off. And Luneth would have listened to that advice, if there had been a different place to park the airship.

"Common, we should try to find the road as quick as possible, it'll be safer there." He decided. His brother and female companion did not protest. Luneth looked around, trying to orientate himself. After a few minutes of looking at the Castle towers and the forest, the seventeen year old by figured out the direction they had to go. He was about to resume walking, when Arc's yell of terror made him stop and turn in the direction of his brother. Even as he drew his sword, Luneth could see Arc's attackers.

Five to six werewolves had surrounded his brother and Refia and were closing in fast. The silver-haired boy gritted his teeth even as he charged into battle. The lupines were taller than him and looked like the most formidable monsters he had encountered yet, save from the giant turtle he had fought in the Altar Cave. He ran to the one closest by and swung his blade, cutting deep in the werewolf's back. The beast howled, but regardless of the pain from its wound it immediately retaliated. It turned around and swiped with its claws at Luneth, who barely managed to duck under the sweeping paws. Wasting no time, Luneth thrust his blade forwards in the monster's chest, killing it. But the Crystal's Chosen One wasted no time watching the werewolf burn away like every monster, he immediately engaged the first werewolf he saw next. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Refia managing to hold her ground, despite being armed only with a dagger she still managed to avoid getting hit while still delivering nasty cuts to the beasts.

The problem was Arc. The shy lad was more than afraid and Luneth could see it. Though his little brother did have his dagger drawn, Luneth could see Arc was too frozen with fear to act. The beasts noticed that Arc was the weakest of the group and those of the wolves that weren't engaged with Luneth or Refia immediately headed for the freckled boy. Luneth swore foully and tried to get to his brother, but the werewolf he was currently busy with prevented that. The monster snarled at Luneth and swiped with its clawed paws, driving the silver haired boy backwards, away from Arc.

"Arc!" Luneth shouted, hoping to get his brother unfrozen. "Don't be afraid, fight!"

But Arc didn't hear him. Three werewolves were closing in on him and he was frightened beyond belief. Arc had known from the beginning that this would be a dangerous trip. He had known there would be fights; he had known _he_ would have to fight. But he had always counted on it that Luneth would be there, at his side to help him. Yet at this moment his brother wasn't there and he couldn't see him. He could only see the monsters as they closed in on him. He didn't want to be a coward… but he couldn't help being one in the face of these beasts. Arc did a step back, but slipped over a rotten, loose tree branch and fell on his back. The collision with the ground made him loose his grip on his dagger. The werewolves seized the opportunity and all jumped at the poor boy at the same time.

Luneth saw it happen. Refia saw it happed. Both wanted to do something, yet both were each caught up in their own fight. The werewolves that had engaged them each made sure the two could not get to Arc in time. Luneth was furious. Mom and dad would never forgive him if he let something happen to Arc, yet something was happening to his little brother right now! Anger gave him strength and he charged straight at the werewolf that blocked his path. The beast landed a hit on him with his claws, but Luneth ignored it, ignored the bleeding and plunged his blade deep in the werewolf, killing it. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see Refia likewise ignoring her own safety and charge. The blacksmith's daughter threw herself on the werewolf blocking her way and knocked it to the ground. The beast bit in her arm, but as it did so, Refia plunged her own knife in its throat, killing it.

The way to Arc, who still laid frozen with fear on the ground, was open, but both Luneth and Refia knew that they would never be on time to help Arc, despite the fact that the distance was barely more than a few metres. The three werewolves that were attacking Arc were now only inches away from the terrified boy. It would be over soon. Luneth let out a cry of despair as he ran, knowing he'd be too late to save his brother from being killed, or at best only harmed, in his very first fight.

A sword came out of nowhere and ran the werewolf closest to Arc through.

The last two remaining beasts immediately halted their charge and looked at their dead and burning comrade with confusion and fear. None of the other two humans was close enough to attack them and both still had their weapons… who had killed their comrade? The two monsters decided it wasn't worth it anymore. They had ambushed these humans and had outnumbered them, yet it was they who were outnumbered now and one of the humans was visibly furious and headed their way. The werewolves turned around and ran, only to bump into a tall, eighteen year old boy with light blonde hair. The boy had bright blue eyes, and was clad in armour, wearing a chainmail under his clothes. He wore a sky-blue, woollen shirt and over that a red, leather jacket with no sleeves. The boy wore a white piece of clothing that covered his shoulders and had a high collar, covering his neck. On his feet the boy wore black leather boots covered in iron armour that reached to halfway his thighs. Likewise, he had a pair of black leather gloves - covered with iron armour plates and chainmail – that reached to halfway his upper arm. The most remarkable thing however, was the pendant he wore with a green jewel attached to it. It rested on his chest and stood in sharp contrast with his red jacket.

The newcomer regarded the monsters, who were as tall as him, calmly for only a moment, and then he raised his right arm in which he carried his sword. In the blink of an eye and with extreme precision and accuracy, the stranger struck down both beasts with one blow of his blade. He watched the monsters burn away for a small minute, then stepped over the rapidly decaying corpses towards Arc. The brown haired boy merely gaped at his saviour, as if he didn't quite grasp yet that he had been saved. Regardless, the stranger extended his hand towards Arc to help him up. The action seemed to shake Arc from his astonishment and he gratefully accepted the hand the stranger offered him, but he didn't dare meet his gaze or those of Luneth and Refia for that matter. Arc's cheeks burned with embarrassment and he kept his eyes fixed on the ground.

"Are you alright?" the newcomer asked on a calm tone. Arc merely nodded. The stranger did not mid Arc's silence and merely turned to Luneth and Refia, who approached the two carefully.

"It was foolishness to threat so deep in the forest." He derided them with a stern voice and look. "Your friend could have been gravely injured."

"I know." Luneth replied simply, turning his attention to his younger brother. Luneth couldn't express just how relieved he was to see that his brother was alright and uninjured. He would never forgive himself if he allowed that to happen. Still unable to put his relief under words, Luneth pulled his brother in a big brotherly hug. Refia watched the two for a second with a smile, and then turned to their saviour.

"Thanks for the help, sir." The blacksmith's daughter said to the blonde newcomer. "I don't know what would have happened had you not shown up."

The older boy raised his hand dismissively. "You were merely very lucky I came when I did." He explained. "I came here in the hope of finding aid from the people that came with the airship, instead I found some children in way over their heads." Refia immediately put her hands on her hips and glared at him. The stranger's words did not only stir some anger with Refia, Luneth let go off Arc to turn to the newcomer as well. Heedless of the cold stares they were giving them, the blonde boy asked: "Pray tell, however, what brings three children with an airship to Castle Sasune in such troubled times?"

Refia sighed. She didn't know what to make of this person, nor was she sure if she wanted to. But she hadn't come all this way with two unknown boys, hadn't just fought off these werewolves just to get frustrated over their unknown saviour. She had come here to help her father and the people of Kazus.

"I'm Refia, daughter of Taka the blacksmith from Kazus." She told him. "Kazus has fallen prey to a terrible curse at the hands of the demon Djinn. Everybody, including my father, has been turned to ghosts."

The blonde boy sighed. "Kazus as well, I see…" He shook his head sadly. "Castle Sasune has suffered the same fate apparently, while I was away on a mission. I am told a mithril ring could lift the curse, but I know not where to find one."

Arc timidly stepped forward. "We… We came here to ask the King if we could borrow the Princess' mithril ring so we can reseal the Djinn…"

The blue-eyed boy gave Arc a short glance before nodding understandingly. "Ah, I see. It is an audience with the King you require." He bit his lip and thought for a moment. "However, I am not sure if it is wise for you to continue your efforts. If the battle from just now was any indication of your skill, the Djinn will surely prove to be a foe too powerful."

"We still have to try." Luneth retorted impatiently. "The Djinn won't reseal itself. And if the Castle soldiers and Kazus have been turned to ghosts, then it's up to us children to fix things."

The blonde boy smiled the faintest of smiles ad gave Luneth an approving look. "You are foolish, but brave all the same. Very well, I shall take you to the Castle and arrange an audience with the King for you."

"Thank you." Refia said, relieved. She then gave him a questioning look. "Would you mind if I asked you your name?"

The eighteen year old boy shook his head. "Not at all. I am Ingus, soldier to King Sasune and personal guard of Lady Sarah."

---

**I don't like this last part. Like, not at all. But the sad thing is, it's all I can come up with. I've rewritten this last part over six times and I found it crap each time. Finally, what I came up with is what I've now posted. It's no good, but it's the best I can come up with, sadly enough. **

**Maybe I'll rewrite it later, but I decided to post it now anyway because you readers deserve a new chapter and because I want to get the story moving. If all goes well, we'll reach the fight with the Djinn in chapter seven.**

**At least the group is complete now… How did I do with Ingus' fancy speech? I'm not good at such things, so please tell me how I did. Thanks. See you till next chapter, which hopefully will be up a bit sooner, but anybody who reads my story by now knows to rather expect no new chapters instead of new chapters.**

**Still, I swear this story will get finished. I love FF III too much not to finish it, like I said before. It just will take a long time, I'm afraid.**


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